Blog post provided by Quitt.ch

Terminating the employment relationship with your nanny is in general not a particularly pleasant thing to do. It is however part of the administrative obligations you face when employing a nanny or household staff. Below you can download a correct template for the letter of termination.

There may be diverse reasons for terminating the contract of a nanny, babysitter or domestic help. They may be of professional or private nature. Whatever the reason of terminating the contract of your nanny may be, the letter must be formulated correctly and in accordance to the contractual notice period and with indication of all information necessary. Writing such a termination letter to babysitter is not the easiest thing to do, therefore we provide you with a template, free to download.

Download letter of termination

What you need to consider when terminating the contract of your nanny

We would highly recommend submitting a written notice. If you should decide on sending the letter of termination to your nanny by mail, we do, for evidentiary purposes, recommend sending it by registered mail. If the letter of termination should be handed over to your nanny in person, a written receipt would be the best way of confirmation. The termination of the contract will only come into effect, when your nanny has received the letter.

Furthermore, the current address and name as well as the address and name of your nanny or babysitter have to be specified in the letter of termination, the place and date as well as the contract being terminated on the next possible termination date (based on Art. 335c OR regulating notice periods). Both parties have to sign the letter of termination – the employer and the nanny.

Possible protection against dismissal for a nanny

There are several reasons for protection against dismissal for employees in private households. You may not dismiss your nanny in case of sickness, an accident or pregnancy. The duration of military and civilian services is also covered by that regulation in Art. 336c OR. During these periods, your nanny is protected from termination of the contract. Only after that lock up period, the termination can be legally executed.

Being legally protected and insured as an employer

As an employer during the employer-employee relationship in general and after termination of the same, there is always a risk for a legal dispute between the parties. This might be the case when your nanny doesn’t show up for work or never shows up on time anymore as soon as you have terminated their contract on the next possible date. Therefore we recommend a legal protection insurance for private households employing a nanny. The insurance offers a solid protection against legal disputes with household employees. Thanks to the cooperation with the FORTUNA insurance, quitt.ch offers you a stable, inexpensive solution. Find out more about this insurance option here.